Friday, June 20, 2008

Well, we're about to begin again...

In a few weeks Bishops from around the "Anglican Communion" will gather at Lambeth for a conference. The Lambeth Conference convenes once every ten years at the invitation of the Archbishop of Canterbury. I don't know if this has happened in the past, but for this Lambeth Conference the Archibishop of Canterbury has chosen NOT to invite a few Bishops. One is Martin Minns who gave up his membership in TEC when he was ordained a Bishop by Peter Akinola. Another is Gene Robinson, TEC Bishop of the Diocese of New Hampshire.

Some think it most unfortunate that the Archbishop chose to do this, especially excluding Robinson. Others think it will enable a more comfortable, freer expression of faith and sharing without all the attention going in one direction. And of course some won't even recognize Robinson as Bishop...which says nothing about what Minns has done by chosing to be consecrated by the Bishop of Nigeria and then using the US as his mission field for the Diocese of Nigeria....Sigh...

The conference is not a decision making process nor a governing entity, rather the gathering of Bishops is intended for study, fellowship, worship, and sharing. Bishops from the US, Africa, South America, Great Britian, and other areas of the world are coming, some 800 bishops plus spouses will gather for this conference.

There are a number of Bishops who have chosen to gather at an alternative conference called (Global Anglican Future Conference)Gafcon. Minns and Akinola will be there, not Lambeth. (I must say, just to be a bit snarky...was it poetic justice that Akinola was denied entrance to Jordan for the pre-Gafcon planning session, for which he was to be a key participant?). Gafcon is very disturbing, for a number of reasons, including the way it has snubbed the Bishop of Jerusalem, in whose diocese they are meeting (and against his wishes) and the high degree of its exlusivity....

10 comments:

Wonder how much real church work we could get done... feeding people... clothing people... giving them a cup of cold, clean water to drink... if we didn't play worldly political games? I'm betting that Jesus would be a lot happier if we did his work... instead of working on power plays. I'm juss sayin....

So Robinson is being excluded because he's gay? Are they really that worried that he'll take the spotlight? Seems silly to me. I agree with pk...perhaps we should spend our time being the hands and feet of Jesus rather than playing politics.

PK, many of us in TEC believe that and really choose to do that - focus on mission and being he hands and heart of Christ...alas some are stuck on "What the Bible says" and scriptural orthodoxy and Tradition....in the most unChristian ways...

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Episcopal Priest, gardener, knitter, mother of two grown kids, married for a long time to the same man. I like to exercise, write, and be creative. I serve a very cool, dynamic congregation that challenges me in all the best of ways. I also serve as the Co-convenor of the Episcopal Women's Caucus. I am committed to the health and well-being of women, and therefore also care deeply about the well-being of men and children.

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